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We have been providing treatment for back and neck pain in San Francisco for over 23 years in the Financial District.

Cervical Disc Treatment in SF

There is a lot of information out there on how to diagnose and treat a herniated disc in the neck or low back. Some of it is good and some not so good. Our recommendations come from almost a quarter century of front line experience.

What most people don’t realize is that a herniated disc is very common. In fact, many people have them and do not even realize it. And when you are diagnosed with a herniated disc it is not the end of the world. And, it does not mean you automatically need back or neck surgery.

Often, a herniated disc will heal on it’s own. It just depends on the nature and severity of the condition and the patients overall health profile. All cases are different.

One thing for sure. Chiropractic adjustments should be considered as the #1 treatment option. This has been proven over and over again. You can find some very good research on this at Chiro-Trust.org.

In the event that chiropractic adjustments fail to deliver favorable outcomes there is a logical “next step”. It’s called nonsurgical spinal decompression. The machine we use is the DRX9000. The DRX9000 is designed and built to treat herniated and bulging discs in the cervical or lumbar spine nonsurgically. It is considered the gold standard for drugless disc treatment. You can find out more at SanFranciscoSpinalDecompression.com.

So, if you have been diagnosed with a herniated or bulging disc in the neck or low back, what should you do?

Our recommendation is that you find a clinic that has both chiropractic and spinal decompression. We have two clinics in San Francisco that are walking distance apart. Our primary clinic has chiropractic, medical care, physical therapy, and diagnostics. Our satellite clinic at the Embarcadero Center has spinal decompression and chiropractic, as well as laser therapy.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing chiropractic and physical therapy in San Francisco for over 23 years now.

Chiropractic and physical therapy (PT) go hand in hand. They are both natural treatments that seek to restore lost health and function without drugs or surgery.

We have found that the combination of chiropractic and PT can make the difference between success or failure in certain cases. Sometimes chiropractic is not enough, and sometimes PT is not enough. Having a fully equipped PT dept. with a team of highly trained therapists enables us to treat the most challenging injuries and improve outcomes. We also have medical doctors on staff at our primary clinic.

Recently, our main chiropractic clinic in downtown San Francisco, Chiro-Medical Group, Inc. (CMG), acquired Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center. The new name is Chiro-Medical Group Express (CMGE). CMGE is just a few short blocks away from CMG and caters to the busy executive who wants to walk in and be seen right away. It is also a portal of entry to the main clinic where more services and diagnostics are available.

The PT and chiropractic combo is especially useful when it comes to sports injuries or auto accidents. Aligning the spine is great, but if there are injuries that require rehabilitation then PT is probably a good idea as well.

When you rehabilitate an injured body part properly you increase the odds of a long lasting permanent solution. The Chiropractic and PT combo should be considered f this is your goal. Chiropractic is great for maintenance care as are exercises that your PT will prescribe. Maintenance care will reduce the odds of re-injury and increase the odds of long term success.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing chiropractic care in San Francisco for over 24 years.

Some of the more common questions patients have when they visit a chiropractor for the first time are as follows:

1. How many adjustments do I need?

2. Are adjustments safe?

3. How long will the adjustments last and will I have to keep coming in forever?

Well, these are great questions. After-all, we all like to know what we are getting ourselves into, and nobody likes expensive surprises.

The good news is that chiropractic is not expensive and is covered by most health insurance plans. Chiropractic is also very safe and effective…which is why insurance plans cover it. What dictates how many adjustments a patient needs is the nature of the presenting complaints, whether or not the condition is new and acute or chronic (over 3 months), the patients overall health status, and any complications such as scoliosis or diabetes.

Insurance companies have guidelines based on the above and most doctors adhere to these even for cash patients. The chiropractic technique of your doctor is part of the equation also. Some techniques do more corrective type care which takes longer but is longer lasting. Some do relief care which is just treating the symptom and getting the patient out of pain. This is what most patients want.

How long your chiropractic adjustments last depends on all the above and your adherence to the treatment plan and home care recommendations like stretches and exercises. It also depends on your lifestyle, including your work load, your stress levels, your diet, how much you exercise, hobbies, etc.

Some patients go years without adjustments. Some want them a few times a month. Chiropractic is a tool you can use as needed to help you express your health potential. Once you get the hang of it you figure out what works best for you. You make the choice.

To find out if you are a candidate for chiropractic in San Francisco please call 415-392-2225. We validate parking at the Embarcadero Center where we are located.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for headaches in San Francisco for over 23 years.

If you are someone that spends the majority of their time sitting at a desk in front of a computer, like most of our patients, you are prone to neck pain and headaches.

The reason for this is that sitting long periods causes static muscle tension in the neck, back and shoulders. The neck muscles attach to the back of the head. Chronic tension on these muscles can cause pressure and pain in the head as well as neck, upper back, shoulder, arm or hand pain.

We are simply not designed to be sitting at a desk all day and we need to be proactive making sure we are doing things to counteract these negative stresses.

Here is a partial list of things you can do:

Take frequent breaks and stretch and walk around.

Make sure your workstation is ergonomically correct.

Drink lots of water throughout the day.

Eat lots of plant foods (anti-inflammatory).

Get plenty of exercise.

Get a desk that allows you to stand or sit.

Do deep breathing exercises.

There are more but those will do for now. If you already have headaches then you should visit a chiropractor for an assessment. Depending on the type of headache and the nature and severity of your condition you may only need a few visits or you may need more.

The good news is that most headaches respond favorably to chiropractic, especially those related to sitting long periods.

So, prevention is best. But if you do get a headache then see your chiropractor.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for the neck, shoulders and hands in downtown San Francisco for over 23 years now.

Most of the patients we treat in the SF Financial District spend the majority of their day sitting in front of a computer doing repetitive motions. This activity can put a lot of stress on the bones of the spine in the neck and well as the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the shoulders, arms and hands.

The nerves that control the arms and hands exit from in between the bones of the spine in the neck. These nerves can become compromised with abnormal wear and tear leading to numbness and tingling in the hands. The problem can be in the neck, shoulders, elbows, or wrists. All must be checked.

In most cases there is joint dysfunction and muscle imbalances, and even nerve pressure in multiple locations. The good news is that these sorts of problems tend to respond favorably to chiropractic and favorable outcomes are the norm.

The standard treatment for hand pain and numbness at our clinic is chiropractic adjustments to the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrists and fingers, massage or ART, low tech exercises in office and at home, deep tissue laser if needed, and ice or heat. Most cases respond in short order. Chronic long standing cases can take longer to treat.

We also have a team of medical doctors and physical therapists that specialize in sports medicine at our primary clinic, Chiro-Medical Group, Inc. which is a few blocks away from our Embarcadero Center walk-in clinic.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for sports injuries in downtown San Francisco for over 23 years now.

Whether it be a sprain strain from weekend warrior activities or a herniated disc in the neck or the back, chiropractic can help…especially a sports chiropractor that spends the majority of their day treating sports injuries.

We learned early on that the combination of chiropractic, medical care, physical therapy, and sports trainers, is a potent combination for correctly diagnosing and treating sports injuries.

Chiropractic is great for preventing and treating the majority of sports related musculoskeletal conditions that we see in our clinics. But to be able to handle the full spectrum of sports related traumas and injuries it takes more.

Our primary clinic Chiro-Medical Group Inc. is fully equipped with digital x-ray, diagnostic ultrasound and many other advanced technologies geared towards treating sports injuries. We also have a very large staff of sports chiropractors, physical medicine doctors (MD’s) nurses, trainers, and support staff. Our clinic director Scott Calzaretta has even been a team doctor for the US Olympic Team.

Our satellite clinic is Chiro-Medical Group Express (CMGE) and is a few blocks away at the Embarcadero Center. CMGE offers express, walk-in service for busy office workers on the go as well as sports injuries treatment and spinal decompression for herniated and bulging discs.

Many of our patients visit both clinics depending on their needs.

The most important thing when it comes to effectively treating sports injuries is a correct diagnosis and proper treatment protocols. Most athletes want to get back to their sports training and performing and require special expertise that not all chiropractors can provide.

When it comes to treating sports injuries in San Francisco we stand above the rest and most of our medical team are athletes themselves. This really does matter.

So, if you live or work near the SF Financial District and have suffered a sports injury that requires treatment, we would love to meet up with you.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Downtown San Francisco for over 23 years.

Most of the patients we treat spend the majority of their day sitting in front of a computer doing repetitive motions Many go on to do more computer work at home. Some are even on the computer or smart phone as they commute to and from work. OUCH!

We are simply not designed to be sitting for long periods doing the same thing over and over. In fact, we are designed to be doing just the opposite…running and hunting for food. Our bodies need constant motion in order to function properly.

When we sit all day the muscles in the neck and back are in a constant state of tension. Plus, our posture tends to take on hunched-over position we are in. This can cause pressure on the nerves in the neck that travel down the arms and control the hands. Pressure on the nerves can cause the same symptoms you experience when you have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

The classic signs and symptoms of CTS are as follows:

Hand pain

Numbness and Tingling in the hand

Night pain

Neck pain

Pain that radiates from the hand to the elbow or neck

Weakness of grip

Again, pressure on the nerves in the neck cause the same symptoms This is why so many carpal tunnel surgeries fail. It was not the true problem. The nerve involved in true CTS is the Median Nerve. It is actually formed by branches of the cervical nerves (neck). This is why the symptoms are the same. True CTS is when there is compression of the median nerve in the wrist. This is a far less likely scenario than compression on the nerves in the neck. It is also easier to treat the neck. Results can typically be seen right away.

Some of the conditions in the neck area that can pinch the nerves that innervate the arm and hand are as follows:

Bulging and herniated discs

Vertebral Subluxation

Degenerative Disc Disease

Facet Syndrome

Spinal Degeneration

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Cervical Rib

So there you go. Changes are if you have CTS Symptoms you don’t have true CTS. And one more thing…

Not all doctors know how to treat CTS and related disorders. Chiropractors are experts and some (like us) even specialize in treating neck, arm, and hand pain. The treatment is 100% natural s usually covered by insurance (we belong to most plans).

To find out more about CTS check out the other blog posts on this blog.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing chiropractic in downtown San Francisco for over 23 years.

During this time we have performed over 250,000 chiropractic adjustments. So, I guess you could say we have some experience in this area. What we have leaned during this time is that chiropractic is a wonderful tool that can be used in a variety of ways to help people function at a higher level. Chiropractic is also gentle and very safe.

Sure, most of our new chiropractic patients come in with specific complaints such as back, neck or hand pain. Or even headaches, TMJ or knee pain. But what they end up discovering is that chiropractic adjustments make everything work better. It’s not uncommon for patients to tell their chiropractor that they sleep better, have more energy, think more clearly, recover from exercise quicker, can walk or run longer, lift more weight, and on and on.

In fact, most report relief from long standing ailments that they did not even think to mention to the chiropractor initially because they were so focused on the chief complaint that brought them in. As a chiropractor, this is one of the things that is so rewarding about what we do. All in all, our days are filled with positive feedback. Sure, we have difficult cases, and every once in a while we just can’t seem to help someone…but this is the exception and not the rule.

In the beginning we see patients more frequently…sometimes 2-3x per week for a few weeks. Then we increase the time in between visits as the patient improves until the patient reaches maximum benefit. The total visits for a new patient depends on their age, the condition that brought them in, what they do for work, any underlying complications, and adherence to the treatment plan. I would say this averages out to about 10-12 sessions as a national average.

After this, some patients decide to come in for routine maintenance once a month or whenever they feel the need. Some end up liking what chiropractic does for them so much they come in once a week. Some only come in when they are in crisis…and everything in between. There is no set formula here. Everyone is different. Chiropractic is a tool and once you experience it you learn how to use it as part of your healthy lifestyle toolbox.

Your chiropractors philosophy and technique also plays into the “how many visits do I need?” equation. Sometime you have to try a few different chiropractors before you find what works best for you. A personal referral from a good friend is probably the best way to start. This way you know going in what the doctors philosophy and treatment recommendations are like.

All in all, no matter what chiropractor you choose to see, chances are you will be satisfied, as chiropractic has a very high patient satisfaction rate. In fact, Consumer Reports ranks chiropractic #1 for back pain.

If you would like to find out more about chiropractic, there is plenty of information here on this blog. If you would like to make an appointment with one of our San Francisco Chiropractors call 415-392-2225.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for headaches in San Francisco since 1992.

One of the most common complaints n a chiropractic office are headaches. Especially, chronic headaches, which are headaches that persist for over 90 days wont go away.

There are many underlying causes of headaches, and fortunately, most respond favorably to chiropractic case management.

During the past 23 years or so we have helped thousands of patients with headaches return to more normal “headache free” active lifestyles. Some were diagnosed with tension headaches, some with migraines, temporal headaches, unilateral headaches, whatever. A diagnosis is just a name…a way to label the symptoms. It’s really just a particular doctors opinion.

In reality, most headache symptoms overlap with each other which makes it very difficult to correctly classify it as one type of headache or the other.

Chiropractors tend to focus more on how to help the headache than how to name it.

Experience tells us the most headaches originate from misalignment’s or pinched nerves in the neck. The causes are usually poor posture or ergonomics, a bad mattress or pillow, stress, auto accidents (many left untreated), sports injuries, a short leg, on and on. The cause is usually mechanical.

Sure, there can be serious causes of headaches, but these are usually associated with headaches that are new and acute with sudden onset. These are very rare and involve infections, tumors or fractures.

Sometimes x-ray or MRI is necessary to quantify the problem in the neck.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for whiplash in downtown San Francisco for over 23 years now.

Just about every day we treat a new patient with a whiplash injury…usually due to an auto accident. Many of our other new patients with chronic neck pain and headaches report previously untreated whiplash injuries.

That’s right, whiplash if not treated properly can lead to problems down the road such as neck and back pain, headaches, low back pain, insomnia, TMJ, and shoulder pain.

This is why it is so important to be seen right away after a car accident even if you have no symptoms. The spine and soft tissues are remarkably strong but are just not designed to handle the amount of forces even a 5 miles per hour impact can expose them to.

Chiropractors are the proven experts when it comes to the treatment of whiplash injuries. if you are in a serious auto accident it is probably a good idea to be checked out in the emergency room for fracture or dislocation, but that’s pretty much where it should end. Your next stop should be a chiropractor.

The most important thing when it comes to healing injured soft tissues sustained from whiplash trauma is “motion”. That’s right, without motion the joints will develop scar tissue which could lead to permanent damage and chronic pain. Chiropractors are motion experts even with badly injured patients. We also have technologies such as deep tissue laser therapy, ultrasound, and electro-stimulation to help reduce pain and inflammation.

Your chiropractor can also provide you with low-tech “do at home” exercises that are very important when it comes to restoring motion and recovering from a whiplash injury.

Our San Francisco Chiropractors are whiplash experts. We treat whiplash injuries day in and day out and have been doing so for over 20 years.

We also have 2 clinics to serve you and they are a short walking distance from one another. Our primary clinic is Chiro-Medical Group, Inc. which has an expert team of medical doctors, physical therapists, nurses, athletic trainers, and chiropractors. We also have state of the art diagnostic equipment such as digital x-ray and diagnostic ultrasound.

Our satellite clinic is located at the Embarcadero Center and offers express, no wait chiropractic, whiplash treatment and spinal decompression.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.